Monday, October 22, 2012

For some reason, this charming little film was only shown at the Ayala malls cinemas. So I ventured out of my comfort zone and found myself sitting in an almost empty theater. It felt like I was seated in my own living room - the only thing missing was my pillow.

The movie is based on Paul Torday’s novel with the very strange title. It stems from a project of a wealthy sheik who wants to bring salmon fishing to his native land, Yemen. Of course, it is an impossible task yet when the sheik is willing to invest 50 million dollars into the project, you simply cannot refuse the lucrative offer. Not to mention the fact that the British government needs a moral booster after some of its troops were injured in a grenade attack in Afghanistan. Billed under the "good news from the Middle East" category, the gargantuan operation would certainly boost Anglo Arabic relations.

The persons directly involved in the enormous logistics for this major project include a skeptical fisheries expert named Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), the investment consultant of the sheik Ms Harriet Chetwold-Talbot (Emily Blunt), Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), the press officer of the British Prime Minister's office and Sheik Muhammed (Amr Waked).

Aside from the political connotations and questions like "Can money really buy
everything?", the film strives pretty much on the solid acting of the cast. I liked the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt. Both equally talented, they essayed their roles with subtle nuances giving their characters so much depth.

Buoyed by a beautiful cinematography with interesting angles of long, wide shots of picturesque terrain as well as creative underwater segments, this movie was visually appealing.

The sheikh who is considered somehow of a visionary with progressive ideas for his country is very enigmatic. He strongly believes in the immeasurable power of faith and making the impossible, possible. It is the same faith that guides the viewers as you watch and silently yet firmly wish that the project will be a success.

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a delightful little movie that shows that it isn't always a bad thing to have dreams which no one believes in. As long as you have conviction, coupled with a positive attitude, you can accomplish and achieve anything with great success.